Israeli soldier who 'took kill shot' at Eygi 'shouted in joy': Witness
4 Min Read
An Israeli activist says the kill shot at Eygi was no isolated incident as it happens in the context of the escalation and violence in the West Bank.
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Palestinian mourners carry the body of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi who was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers while participating in an anti-settlement protest in the West Bank during her funeral procession in the West Bank city of Nablus, on September 9, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli sniper who shot and murdered Turkish-American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi in the West Bank last Friday screamed in delight after the murder, Palestinian eyewitness Mounir Khdair reported.
Khdair told Anadolu, "After shooting her, he was happy, he shouted for joy."
Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli activist who has been partaking in protests against Israeli settlement expansion in the region for many years, expressed that the Israeli soldier responsible for Eygi's murder "took a kill shot," yet this is not an "isolated incident", he maintained, detailing how the same bullet that killed the Turkish activist "killed people in Nur Shams and Jenin."
Pollak stated that a 13-year-old girl was killed only a few kilometers away, emphasizing the weapons are "American-funded" to continue the genocide in Gaza "with complete impunity."
Pollak also falsified Israeli claims of feeling threatened by activists throwing stones, affirming that things were very calm when the activist was killed.
The claims echo similar ones of other witnesses who reported that Eygi was killed during a peaceful time, with no clashes or violent confrontations reported.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, 26, an American-Turkish human rights activist, arrived in the West Bank on Tuesday to volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) as part of a campaign to protect Palestinian farmers from settler and IOF violence.
Eygi's death has sparked outrage and drew international condemnations. The Beita protest was part of ongoing demonstrations against the expansion of Israeli settlements and land seizures in the area.
Hundreds bid farewell to Eygi in West Bank
On Monday, hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank city of Nablus paid their respects to the killed Turkish activist.
The funeral procession began at Rafidia Government Hospital in Nablus, with mourners marching through multiple streets, singing slogans decrying Israeli operations and honoring international supporters, according to Anadolu.
Mourners performed the funeral prayer, led by Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas, with the participation of leaders from various Palestinian factions and a large public turnout.
With her body draped in the Palestinian flag and her head covered with the Palestinian kouffiyeh, mourners carried her on their shoulders and roamed the streets in her memory.
Oncu Keceli, a spokeswoman for the Turkish Foreign Ministry, confirmed early Monday that his government is trying to arrange the transfer of Eygi's remains.
US ignores facts, awaits results of probe from perpetrators
In what can only be described as painful irony, the US yet again is asking for a robust conclusion to an investigation concerning Israeli misconduct from the Israeli authorities rather than an independent investigator.
Vedant Patel told a news briefing that the US expects the investigation into the circumstances of Eygi's death to be "thorough, transparent" from the perpetrators themselves.
An autopsy report had confirmed that Turkish-American activist Eygi was killed by a sniper's bullet to the head, Nablus Governor Ghassan Daghlas announced on Saturday, Anadolu reported.
Fouad Nafaa, Director of the Rafidia Hospital, told Anadolu that Eygi arrived with a gunshot wound to the head and, despite efforts by medical teams, succumbed to her injuries.
Daghlas told Anadolu that the autopsy results determined that Eygi died from a sniper-inflicted gunshot wound, with the bullet specifically targeting her head before she was transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Aysenur Ezgi Eygi is not the first American activist to be killed by the Israeli occupation.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 8, 2024
Here's a brief history of "Israel's" killings of American activists. pic.twitter.com/EodJIy331G
Eygi's family has called for an independent investigation into her death, accusing the Israeli military of killing her "violently".
"Her presence in our lives was taken needlessly, unlawfully, and violently by the Israeli military," the family expressed in a statement.
"A US citizen, Aysenur was peacefully standing for justice when she was killed by a bullet that video shows came from an Israeli military shooter," the statement pointed out.
"We call on President (Joe) Biden, Vice President (Kamala) Harris, and Secretary of State (Antony) Blinken to order an independent investigation into the unlawful killing of a US citizen and to ensure full accountability for the guilty parties."
